


Synopsis: Bless the Child

by dairesfanficrefuge_archivist



Category: Highlander: The Series
Genre: Meta, Season/Series 02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-12-31
Updated: 2003-12-31
Packaged: 2018-12-18 06:52:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11868936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dairesfanficrefuge_archivist/pseuds/dairesfanficrefuge_archivist
Summary: Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived atDaire's Fanfic Refuge. Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address onDaire's Fanfic Refuge's collection profile.





	Synopsis: Bless the Child

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Daire's Fanfic Refuge](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Daire%27s_Fanfic_Refuge). Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Daire's Fanfic Refuge's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/dairesfanficrefuge/profile).

Bless the Child

**BLESS THE CHILD**

There are a number of issues in this one-some important, some trivial. 

_IMPORTANT_ messages:   
1\. Grief can drive people to irrational behavior.   
2\. Two 'wrongs' do not cancel each other to make a 'right'.   
3\. Often the ONE thing we want most, is that which we cannot have. Maybe that is why we want it so. (This thread was the most poignant.) 

_TRIVIALITIES_   
1\. Regardless how much mud, dirt, and sludge Duncan MacLeod wallows through, his clothes are always spotless. (At least in this episode.)   
2\. Even Highlander: The Series lays an occasional egg. This one is dinosaur sized. (The episode has no Immortals, no Quickenings, limited physical combat, no love scenes to speak of, no beefcake; the best part was the baby's butt-he's Adrian Paul's nephew, BTW-and the bear was good.)   
3\. Charlie DeSalvo is _totally_ out of character. He turns from a tough ex-combat veteran into a wuss, first class. You would think he never camped out in his life. Give me a _break!_

**_New characters:_**

**SARA LIGHTFOOT** \- Mortal Native American woman, on the run with a baby she claims is hers. 

**AVERY HOSKINS** \- Mortal, owns a gold mine along with his two brothers. 

**LUKE HOSKINS** \- Avery's brother, discovered some unpleasant facts about the mine. 

**BILLY HOSKINS** \- brother to Avery and Luke, does not want Avery to know what Luke discovered. 

**NORA** \- Mortal, one of Mac's (many, I mean _many_ ) former lovers, circa the roaring twenties. 

**JAMIE** \- the baby that Sara claims is hers. 

**BEAR** \- unnamed grizzly with a sweet tooth. 

* * *

Pacific Northwest, Present Day 

At their home in the woods-   
Two brothers do battle,   
Luke insists, 'Wasn't fever-   
That killed all those cattle!   
It was mercury run-off-   
From the gold mine waste flow.'   
Luke wants it shut down.   
Brother Billy says, 'No.' 

'Don't you _dare_ tell Avery!   
You'd better obey me!'   
Avery hears their loud voices,   
'Quiet down, you'll wake Jamie!'   
His ears catch a sound-   
Was it Jamie that cried?   
Sara's stealing the pick-up,   
Putting Jamie inside. 

Campsite, Nearby 

Trout smothered in _JAM!!!_   
Duncan cooks up a feast,   
Charlie crawls from the tent,   
Not impressed in the least.   
Longing for hashbrowns,   
Scratching bug bites,   
This is not on the list-   
Of his favorite nights. 

The sound of the pick-up,   
Driving at breakneck pace-   
Alerts Mac and Charlie-   
From atop the cliff's face,   
They watch as it veers-   
And swerves off the road.   
They have to move quickly,   
The truck might explode! 

They pull Sara out,   
The engine's aflame,   
They do not see the baby,   
Sara wakes...calls his name!   
MacLeod goes for Jamie,   
Pulls him out in a minute,   
When the pick-up explodes-   
Nobody is in it. 

'They are coming to take,   
My baby away!'   
Mac wants some more info,   
But all she will say....   
'It's Avery Hoskins,   
I married his son.   
Jamie is our baby,   
His father's passed on. 

Hoskins doesn't approve-   
Of my raising this child.   
I am not white enough.   
(This gets Charlie riled.)   
They cannot drive away,   
Jeep's dead-will not start.   
Now they hear men approaching,   
Mac will take Sara's part. 

Mac will reason with Avery,   
Sara begs, 'Promise me-   
You won't give him my son.'   
MacLeod will agree.   
They'll proceed back to camp,   
While Mac goes to parlay,   
But when Billy starts shooting-   
Mac ducks back to Charlie. 

They dash through the forest,   
At woodcraft Mac's champ.   
He creates a false trail,   
Doubling back to the camp.   
When they check the jeep-   
It's completely kaput!   
Its tires have been flattened,   
They must get out on foot. 

The Hoskins' don't relish-   
Getting mired in the bogs,   
So Avery goes back-   
For his hunting dogs.   
He will need two more men,   
To search and to aid him,   
Sara Lightfoot and Jamie-   
Must not evade him 

Meanwhile Billy worries-   
Will Luke spill the beans?   
Telling Avery, that mercury-   
Is poisoning the streams?   
Billy now sees his chance,   
He's a slave to his greed,   
He shoots his _OWN BROTHER!_   
Blaming Mac for the deed! 

Mac, Charlie and Sara,   
With the baby in tow-   
Will cut through the canyon,   
Twenty hard miles they'll go.   
Avery stops by Luke's body,   
Billy feeds him falsehoods,   
Giving Mac's group some time-   
To move through the woods. 

Hunting Lodge, in the Woods 

They've discovered some shelter,   
Mac and friends spend the night,   
Jamie suckles his bottle,   
Smiling up with delight.   
Duncan hears Sara crooning-   
In her soft native tongue.   
He's versed in her language,   
And he hears something wrong! 

She calls her boy baby-   
By a little _girl's_ name,   
MacLeod makes no comment,   
But he's troubled all the same.   
When Jamie starts fretting,   
Charlie's quick to attend-   
But, it's Mac who observes,   
'Charlie, that's the wrong end.' 

Charlie will _NOT_ do diapers,   
But MacLeod's an old pro.   
As he cleans little Jamie-   
He cannot help but show-   
His affection for children,   
Charlie asks Mac if he-   
Wants some kids of his own.   
Mac sighs, 'It's not for me.' 

Charlie cannot imagine-   
How intensely Mac hurts,   
Life eternal, but sterile-   
Is the Immortal's curse.   
To yearn with such passion-   
For what can't be acquired,   
Since his youth in the Highlands-   
All he ever desired. 

Flashback, Boston, December 31, 1923 

On this fine New Year's Eve-   
The blind pig is jumpin',   
The bootlegged hooch flows,   
Band music is thumpin'   
It's the age of the flapper,   
Speakeasies are rife.   
Mac and Nora are dancing.   
What a wonderful life! 

Suddenly-there's a raid!   
Cops! The front door goes-Boom!   
Mac and Nora hide out-   
In the janitor's room.   
They are intoxicated,   
Gulping drinks from her shoe,   
When Nora declares-   
'I want _babies_ with you!' 

Mac is instantly sober,   
Nora vows her sincerest-   
Desire for children,   
To be called, 'Mommy Dearest.'   
'It never can happen,   
Not if you stay with me.'   
'But I love you, Duncan.'   
But, their love could not be. 

Back at the Hunting Lodge 

Duncan dozes, exhausted,   
Gently cradling the tot,   
Charlie bursts in... _MACLEOD!!_   
Look what we've got!'   
Have the Hoskins' stumbled onto-   
Their retreat unaware?   
In answer...a growl-   
From a large grizzly bear! 

They can see by his walk-   
That his mission is food,   
They all back away-   
(Best defer to his mood.)   
'Tell me he doesn't-   
Eat people,' Charlie's crying.   
'I could,' says MacLeod,   
But I would be lying'' 

The grizzly rears up,   
An idea strikes Mac,   
The strawberry jam-   
Is still in his pack.   
Mac opens the jar,   
Rolls it clear 'cross the floor.   
'It's good with trout, too.'   
As they slip out the door. 

The Woods 

The bark of the dogs-   
Signals Hoskins' advance,   
Mac takes Sara's scarf,   
Hangs it up on a branch.   
While Hoskins' two men-   
Remove the distraction,   
Mac and Charlie's karate-   
Knock them both out of action. 

Two tied up real snug-   
So they'll keep overnight,   
But Sara and Jamie-   
Are nowhere in sight.   
She treks through the forest,   
Eludes everyone,   
Only pausing to pick-   
Wild berries for her son. 

Billy gets very lucky,   
He finds a huge clue,   
A chewed pacifier-   
Lying there in plain view,   
He keeps it a secret,   
Striking out on his own,   
When it leads him to Sara,   
He confronts her, alone. 

He is aiming to kill her,   
We are not sure for what,   
But she's rescued by Mac,   
Who knocks Billy flat.   
'Sara, why did you run?   
Why didn't you wait?'   
They must keep on moving,   
And not hesitate. 

They have only one course,   
Scrambling up a sheer bluff,   
The ascent up the rock-   
Is painstaking and tough.   
As they rest on a ledge,   
Billy looms at the summit,   
Below-the three others,   
It's a long way to plummet. 

Avery shouts his demand,   
'Let me have the _baby!_ '   
Sara's answer is 'No!'   
No 'if', 'and', or 'maybe!'   
The baby starts wailing,   
There's a rash breaking out,   
Mac thinks he's allergic-   
Wild berries, no doubt. 

'Jamie's _NOT_ allergic,'   
MacLeod's now suspicious,   
Is she really the mother?   
Are her claims fictitious?   
Why did she call Jamie-   
By a female appellation?   
'Aimshen,' she crooned-   
In the tongue of her Nation. 

'Whose baby _IS_ this?'   
Sara's scared by Mac's queries,   
She should know that her child-   
Is allergic to berries.   
Are his eyes blue or brown?   
She cannot be the mother.   
She finally admits,   
He belongs to another. 

'Avery Hoskins-he killed-   
My sweet baby daughter,   
Mercury from his mine-   
Poisoned the water.   
Billy bribed me with money-   
To be quiet and behave.   
I burnt ten thousand dollars,   
On top of her grave.' 

'I took Avery's baby,   
In place of my own.'   
MacLeod's heard enough,   
He can't let this go on.   
'I must talk to Hoskins.'   
He descends the steep cliff.   
(You would think all this climbing,   
Would be making him stiff.) 

When Mac locates their campsite-   
He receives a surprise,   
Avery says, 'You killed _Luke!_ '   
(He believes Billy's lies.)   
Mac throws him the rifle-   
That he found by the fire,   
A show of good faith,   
Avery has to admire. 

'My wife died in childbirth,'   
Avery pours out his pain,   
'I was drowning in grief,   
Near drove me insane.'   
Mac reminds him that Sara-   
Is grieving as well.   
He makes Avery mindful-   
Of Sara's own hell. 

While Duncan and Avery,   
Together are schmoozing,   
Charlie DeSalvo,   
The lookout-is snoozing!   
Billy easily lowers-   
Himself to their ledge,   
Points his rifle at Sara,   
But his back's to the edge. 

Mac ascends one more time!   
(Up and down, this is silly.)   
But he's not close enough-   
To neutralize Billy,   
Billy's going to shoot Sara-   
For spilling the beans-   
Mac is too far below,   
Charlie's out cold, it seems. 

Mac clings to the rock face,   
Halfway to the ledge,   
Avery aims-and shoots Billy,   
Toppling him off the edge.   
Mac looks down at Avery,   
Saying, 'I'll get your son.'   
He continues his climb.   
(Pant) His work's almost done. 

'Sara, Billy killed your baby,   
Hoskins wasn't informed-   
Of the mercury pollution,   
Anyone being harmed.   
Sara looks at MacLeod,   
In a voice sad and wavery...   
'Better _BOTH_ of us die,   
Than give Jamie to Avery.' 

'And what about Aimshen?   
To forget her is wrong.   
Who'll remember her beauty?   
Who'll sing her song?   
All babies bring hope-   
Of better things to come,   
Jamie is innocent,   
Let him go home.' 

'Give Jamie to me.'   
Mac gently insists,   
Sara croons to herself,   
But no longer resists,   
Now that Mac has the baby,   
They can finally go-   
Down to Avery, the father,   
Who awaits them, below. 

Outside Avery's Home 

Avery: 'I had two brothers,   
And also a wife.   
Now I have only Jamie-   
To brighten my life.'   
Avery bids them goodbye,   
The jeep's dead, of course.   
MacLeod turns to Charlie,   
'Next time, bring a horse.' 

Peace, Emit   
© 2001-2003 

**_Under the Kilt_ from Highlander: The Official Site: **

Ken Gord, Producer   
'This was interesting because usually you hire a director for every other show, so while you're shooting one show, you're prepping with the director on the next show. This was a six-day show in the woods. And I almost hate to say this, but it was almost like a throwaway show. We, meaning production, prepped the show entirely, and Clay Borris, who had directed the one previous, came on and directed it with absolutely no prep. We just put him in the woods and said, shoot this show.' 

~ Unholy Alliance I   
  
---


End file.
